To the Pressures by Power Holders
Unfettered Dam Construction and Displacement Allowed:
Assault on People and Constitution
In a most illogical, dangerous and anti-people verdict, the
Indian Supreme Court has allowed the unconditional and
unfettered construction of the controversial Sardar Sarovar
Project (SSP), thus playing into the hands of the dam
builders, dominant economic and political powers. The Supreme
Court has violated the spirit of the Constitution of India and
democratic governance. The court has totally neglected the
fundamental rights of the most vulnerable section of our
society and also the serious issues raised regarding the
propriety of the dam. Instead, it has provided a weapon in the
hands of the power holders to indiscriminately displace the
project affected people and crush their rights.
...
The Supreme Court, in its majority judgement in Narmada Bachao
Andolan's Public Interest Litigation against the SSP, on
Wednesday (18th October) has not taken cognisance of the
serious issues regarding the incomplete studies,
non-fulfillment of environment and other conditions which were
put before the court. It has refused to go into the issues of
legal, constitutional violations by the dam builders. It
becomes clear from some of the observations contained in the
dissenting judgement by the third judge on the bench Justice
S.P. Bharucha that these issues were raised during the hearing
by the NBA. The court, thus, has betrayed the tribal and
peasant communities in the country at large and specifically,
those in the Narmada Valley. Judiciary in this country is
clearly under various political pressures and probably cannot
act with the law honestly, can't decide on merit of the case
alone.
[abridged version of press release by Medha Patkar for the NBA.
For the full press release see
http://www.narmada.org/nba-press-releases/october-2000/sc.judgement.html The www.narmada.org site has extensive background material,
regular press reports, extensive text and excellent
photographic material on recent protests, and info on actions
in the USA and India.
This is a BIG activist movement and a big test for the world's
biggest democracy, even including issues like free speech.
The activists are incredibly politically aware - and this includes
adivasis, many of whom live a traditional tribal lifestyle and
who care little about money, reading/writing, television game
shows, the price of fish, etc. Middle class indians and foreigners
could learn a lot from those whose consent has not (yet)
been manufactured...]
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